


In Relation To

by evitably



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Gen, Pre-Series, Project Freelancer, Sibling Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-04
Updated: 2014-10-04
Packaged: 2018-02-19 19:23:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2399972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evitably/pseuds/evitably
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One day, South would be able to exist on her own.<br/>Today is not that day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Relation To

When the Director asks her to choose a codename for herself, she scans the list of available names, goes state by state, until one catches her eye and she knows she's found it.

"Dakota," she says. She likes how it doesn't roll on her tongue; likes the way it stops and starts and stops again.

Next to her, her brother puts down his own list. "That's a good name," he says, and grins. "And there's even two of them, like us."

Something very, very cold settles at the base of her spine --

"What do you say?" he asks. "D'you wanna be North or South Dakota?"

 _I want to be **Dakota**_ , she almost bites out, but the Director leans forward, placing his elbows on the desk, and there's a mirth in his face that almost matches her brother's. "What a splendid idea," he says. "You've gone through training and evaluation together, and your teamwork is what makes the two of you truly exceptional."

\-- and spreads out through her bones down to the tips of her fingers, her toes, her hair. They're not even _looking_ at her. She sits there, frozen with fury, as the Director faces her brother and asks, "You're the elder, if I'm not mistaken?"

Her brother nods.

"Then that would make you North, and you --" he turns to her, looks at her, dares to smile while he tears at her very self. "South Dakota."

She doesn't _want_ to be 'South Dakota'. She knows it would get shortened to _South_ the same way her twin's would get shortened to _North_ , and doesn't like the way her tongue lingers over the consonants, or how short it is, and most of all, she doesn't like that the only time there is _south_ is when there's a _north_. 

But it's not like what she wants has ever mattered, so she does what her brother did: she nods.

The Director smiles. "Agent North. Agent South. Welcome to Project Freelancer." He stands up and offers his hand first to North, then to South.

South's grip is tight, but she doesn't think he notices.


End file.
